cheapaiapi vs OpenRouter

A lower-cost OpenRouter alternative for image generation.

CheapAIAPI is a lower-cost OpenRouter alternative for supported Nano Banana workloads. Matched rows compare the same model and resolution in USD per generation; GPT Image 2.5 shows an official image-token tariff reference without a savings claim. It replaces selected image-generation calls, not OpenRouter's broader LLM routing layer.

Read the API docs See image prices

When is CheapAIAPI the right OpenRouter alternative?

Choose CheapAIAPI for image generation when

  • One of the exact Nano Banana rows below covers your workload.
  • A lower price per generation is more important than a broad model router.
  • A focused image API with a recoverable Job lifecycle fits your application.

Keep OpenRouter when

  • You need its broad LLM catalog as well as image generation.
  • You depend on provider routing and model fallbacks behind one API key.
  • Your image model or resolution is not in the CheapAIAPI public catalog.

This page compares image generation only.

30,000 Nano Banana Pro 4K images per month

$2,166

Spend less on OpenRouter image generation.

$5,040 with CheapAIAPI instead of $7,206 at the matched paid OpenRouter price.

OpenRouter image generation prices.

Scope: matched rows use one completed image generation, exact model and resolution, USD per generation. The GPT Image 2.5 cell is an official image-token tariff reference, not an all-in image total.

cheapaiapi per-generation prices compared with paid OpenRouter prices
Model cheapaiapiUs OpenRouterOR
Nano Banana $0.025 $0.039+55%
Nano Banana 2 Lite 1k $0.025 $0.035+37%
Nano Banana Pro 1K $0.095 $0.137+43%
Nano Banana Pro 2K $0.095 $0.137+44%
Nano Banana Pro 4K $0.168 $0.241+43%
Nano Banana 2.1 1K $0.039 $0.049+26%
Nano Banana 2.1 2K $0.052 $0.065+26%
Nano Banana 2.1 4K $0.1 $0.125+25%
GPT Image 2.5 $0.04 $30/Moutput tokens

Calculate your monthly image cost.

Choose a model and enter how many images you generate per day.

Volume discounts available at 10,000 images per day.

30,000 images30-day estimate

CheapAIAPI
$5,040
OpenRouter
$7,206
OpenRouter extra
$2,166

Estimate uses the matched paid OpenRouter generation price and a 30-day month.

OpenRouter image editing prices.

Scope: one completed image edit, exact model and resolution, USD per generation.

cheapaiapi per-generation prices compared with OpenRouter paid edit prices
Model cheapaiapiUs OpenRouterOR
Nano Banana $0.025 $0.04+56%
Nano Banana Pro 1K $0.095 $0.138+44%

How we compare OpenRouter image pricing.

Matched Nano Banana values come from the usage.cost field of one successful paid OpenRouter response. GPT Image 2.5 instead links the official $30/M image-output-token tariff as a reference, without an all-in generation price or savings claim.

Paid response snapshots captured 2026-07-03 (Nano Banana, Nano Banana 2 Lite 1k, Nano Banana Pro 1K, Nano Banana Pro 2K, Nano Banana Pro 4K); 2026-10-07 (Nano Banana 2.1 1K, Nano Banana 2.1 2K, Nano Banana 2.1 4K). The capture date records the evidence; newer evidence is applied through a deliberate benchmark update.

Read the official OpenRouter image API docs

  1. 01

    Match model and resolution

    Nano Banana Pro 1K, 2K, and 4K remain separate price comparisons.

  2. 02

    Use the published unit

    Matched rows use final paid response cost. The GPT Image 2.5 tariff stays a separate output-token reference.

  3. 03

    Separate create and edit

    Reference-image edits stay in their own table because the paid cost can differ.

Map an OpenRouter image request.

Both APIs use bearer authentication. The endpoint, model id, and response lifecycle change.

  1. 01

    Endpoint

    Move from https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/images to https://cheapaiapi.org/v1/images/generations.

  2. 02

    API key

    Keep the Authorization: Bearer header and replace the OpenRouter key with your CheapAIAPI key.

  3. 03

    Model

    Use one exact CheapAIAPI public SKU from the comparison table.

  4. 04

    Job recovery

    Every accepted request returns a recoverable Job id. Add ?async=true to return immediately, then poll GET /v1/jobs/{id}.

curl https://cheapaiapi.org/v1/images/generations \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $CHEAPAIAPI_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "model": "nano-banana-2.1-1k",
  "prompt": "product photo on a clean studio background",
  "aspect_ratio": "1:1"
}'

Start with one matched model and resolution before moving more image traffic.

Frequently asked questions about switching from OpenRouter.

Is CheapAIAPI a full OpenRouter replacement?

No. This page compares supported Nano Banana image-generation workloads. Keep OpenRouter when you need its broader LLM catalog, provider routing, model fallbacks, or an image model not listed here.

Are CheapAIAPI image prices based on tokens?

No. CheapAIAPI image generation is priced in USD per generation for the selected model and resolution, not from customer-facing input or output token usage.

How are OpenRouter image costs compared?

Matched Nano Banana values come from the usage.cost field of a completed paid response. Those comparisons use the same model, resolution, and create or edit mode. The GPT Image 2.5 row instead links OpenRouter's published $30 per million image-output-token tariff; it is not an all-in per-generation price or a savings claim.

Does the comparison include OpenRouter top-up fees?

No. It compares the completed image-generation usage.cost with the published CheapAIAPI per-generation price. Account funding or payment-processing fees are outside this comparison.

Compare your OpenRouter image cost.

Bring one model, resolution, and monthly volume. We will map the request and calculate the matched cost.

Compare my costs Read the API docs